Mum of four threatened in race-hate attack

Threats made by an eight strong mob against a single mother of four children at her Pound Street home on Thursday evening are being treated as a race-hate crime by police.

Maura Horbash, a member of the Roma community, was at home with her children, the youngest of whom is just six weeks old, when the gang of men called at her home at approximately 6pm threatening the young mum and ordering her to leave the property within 24 hours.

Describing the incident, the frightened woman said, “The man was shouting at me and he told me if I don’t move in 24 hours he would come and set fire to my house. It was very scary.”

Maura’s mother Stella was also in the house at the time.

She said: “It was very frightening. I didn’t sleep all night and the children were crying all night.”

The attack, just a day before the city’s Eariwig Festival – the local community’s annual celebration of culture and diversity – has been described by a police spokesperson as “a dampener on what promises to be a fantastic weekend… which welcomes everyone to their festival and community”.

Sinn Féin Councillor Valerie Harte described the incident as “shocking”.

“Whilst the full details of this incident are unknown, any attack on a family home is to be abhorred and condemned outright,” she said.

Police have appealed to anyone who has any information as to the identity of those involved to contact them on 101 and quote ref 1309 24/07/14.